Doctor Aphra #31: Aphreedom!

For most of the past story arc, Doctor Aphra has been trapped in her body by the Spark Eternal. It essentially kept her locked in her mind and hijacked her body. The Spark committed many atrocities, but freedom from it was the only thing that concerned Aphra. Now that the Spark is gone, Aphra feels empty. She knows the people she has cared about the most are those she has betrayed the wort in her past. This entire issue concerns her coming to terms with the complicated feeling she has held onto for each of her rescuers. She must deal with exes, former colleagues, rivals, and her father. That’s enough guilt to stun anyone.

This issue lacks much action, but a lot is happening. Not only must Aphra come to terms with her guilt, but other characters also have their story threads to close up now that this main adventure is over. Because of this, this chapter has more kissing than any other Star Wars comic book. It is sweet to discover that love can still exist without wars in the stars. Something that sets this issue apart even further is that all of the couplings are strictly LGBTQ. Doctor Aphra has been a beacon for LGBTQ content; this is the icing on the cake.

Despite lacking action, the art style displays a lot of dynamic movement here. Running and kissing and even passionate arguing come to life on the page. The coloring adds much as it is very bright without dominating any page. The impact on the overall saga is massive. Pretty much every character that comes out of this chapter changed for good. This one hits on all levels for an arc wrap-up issue, including setting up the next adventure.